Top 13 best family-friendly things to do for free in Perth this September school holidays

With school holidays fast approaching, keeping the little ones occupied might be on your mind. Here are 10 ways you can keep the family busy and dodge the annual ‘I’m bored’ whinge without spending a dollar.

Groundswell Festival

Scarborough’s biggest free youth festival is back from 6am, October 5, until 8pm on October 6. You can expect DJs, live music, food trucks, face painting, and plenty of sports. Between surf, skate, beach volleyball, and 3x3 streetball competitions, the children won’t know where to look first. If the atmosphere isn’t for you, head to the mindful Tipi Village where yoga, breathwork, and pottery classes are available at no extra cost.

For more details head to the Groundswell Festival website.

Dreamworks Troll Hunt in Fremantle

The whole family is invited to Fremantle to help find seven of DreamWorks’ famous colourful characters. From Monday, September 30, to Saturday, October 5, keen troll-hunters are welcome to scavenge more than half a dozen famous Fremantle spots. Kids will have a chance to meet two of the trolls and gain access to the Kids’ Activity Zone where a silent disco, inflatable obstacle course, and face painting will await.

Tickets are required for children planning to participate.

Hoopsfest fan zone

Hoopsfest is a brand new Perth event that has sneakerheads and sports enthusiasts in a tizz. The basketball extravaganza has the Perth Wildcats lined up to make multiple action-packed appearances. It is Australasia’s biggest basketball, culture, and lifestyle festival to date — running until Sunday so get in quick. While many of the events throughout the four-day event are ticketed the fan zone at Forrest Place is free.

For more information check out Hoopfest’s official website.

Markets @ The Quay for Telethon

If dining out under the stars sounds like your family’s cup of tea, this free event is right up your alley. On Saturday, September 21, from 3pm until 8pm, your family can enjoy live music, face painting, train rides around Elizabeth Quay, and the chance to meet everyone’s favourite TV furry friend, Fat Cat. The waterfront markets are expecting a vibrant, entertainment-filled, atmosphere. Tickets are not required.

Kings Park Everlasting Festival

A raft of activities are being staged as part of one of the largest nature festivals in the State, which kicked off earlier in the month. In its final week, the City of Perth library joins forces with Kings Park to host a free outdoor storytime at Poolgarla Family Area on Wednesday. Suitable for those aged two to six years, parents and guardians are encouraged to bring their own picnic blankets and lawn chairs.

For more information, visit the Kings Park website.

AWESOME International Arts Festival for Bright Young Things

The annual AWESOME International Arts Festival for Bright Young Things offers a plethora of performance styles to engage your little one. Theatre, dance, music, film, and hands-on activities are all options within the AWESOME Festival, so you can choose what suits your family best. Spread across four destinations the mixed arts festival has more than 25 scheduled events between Tuesday, September 24, and Friday, October 4.

All performances and activities are free of charge. For more information visit the official AWESOME Festival website.

DIY Bunnings School Holiday Workshops

Bunnings is offering a free DIY workshop every day in the school break. If your children are hands-on and like to get involved with projects at home, this could be a holiday highlight. From science-themed scavenger hunts to flower potting and crafts, the hardware giant has a raft of activities to cater for every taste.

Bookings at your local Bunnings are essential. Get your kid a spot at a Bunnings near you and grab a sausage sizzle on the way out.

Freestyle Now BMX, Skateboard, and Scooter coaching session

Freestyle Now is the world’s longest-running action sports enterprise and it offers coaching sessions for free at locations across Greater Perth this school holidays. Mandurah, Carine, Fremantle, and Singleton skateparks are just a few of the locations where you can catch the tricksters. The workshops are designed to teach participants new skills, encourage progression, and educate them on skatepark etiquette, but BYO equipment.

Times and locations are available on the official Freestyle Now website.

WA Shipwrecks Museum Sea Fairies & Water Wizard Trail

This is the perfect opportunity for your kids to wear their fairy wings or wizard robes and bring some magic to an ordinary day. From Saturday, September 21, to Sunday, October 6, children can wander the enchanted trail inside Fremantle’s Shipwrecks Museum looking for fairy doors and watching out for trolls. Kids will also get the chance to make their very own wand and burn even more energy in Neptune’s playground where mermaids and dolphins await. Sessions are available from 10am to 2pm, and bookings are required for groups of more than 10 people.

Kids’ Night at the Left Bank

On Thursday, October 3, East Fremantle’s local pub, The Left Bank, is hosting a special edition of its weekly kids night. The pub sponsors the Cockburn Basketball Association and are welcoming their coaches to host a skills clinic along the river from 5pm to 7pm. Shooting competitions and other fun activities will keep your child occupied until they are ready to enjoy a free pub feed.

If you plan to sit down with in a group of more than eight, the venue suggests you book online.

Lights Alive - Perth Zoo

Wander through the zoo and admire animal shaped light installations as the sun sets this spring. With live music creating a wholesome family atmosphere the Lights Trail is a must-do this school holidays. From Saturday, September 21, to Sunday, October 20, the zoo will be illuminated from 5pm daily. Every West Australian aged 15 or over can claim up to four free tickets to the zoo via the ServiceWA app. This general admission ticket will grant you full access to the light trail with no extra booking fee.

WA Museum Boola Bardip - To The Moon

WA Museum Boola Bardip’s latest exhibition welcomes you into a lunar art space where the moon is within arm’s reach. With the exhibition closing on Monday, October 7, you and the whole family still have plenty of time to delve into the contemporary expression of art, science and illumination. The exhibition’s centerpiece is an impressive replica of the surface of the moon spanning seven meters in diameter. Kids aged 0-4 enter for free. Anyone above this age is required to purchase a ticket from $12.50. For more information head to the WA Museum Boola Bardip website.

Perth Royal Show

Shower your family in fun and games at Claremont Showgrounds from September 21 to September 28 for the annual Perth Royal Show. If sideshow-alley rides, and a selection of more than 300 show bags — including bertie beetle — aren’t enough to convince the family, free tickets for kids under 15 might just be the icing on the cake. As if the deal wasn’t sweet enough, for the first time in a decade children over the age of four will also get free tickets to WA’s agricultural sector. For more information and to purchase tickets head to the official Perth Royal Show website.